Clik here to view.
A Time of Thanks
Today S and I are headed to Thanksgiving dinner at a co-worker’s house. She has invited all of us “orphans” who are far from family this year. With my relatives 3,000 miles away, her hospitality is...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Nurse Teeny’s Favorite Things: 2012 Holiday Gift Guide
I may be a bit of a Scrooge this year, but that won’t stop me from making a list and checking it twice. There’s some good stuff out there , and I would be remiss if I didn’t offer some suggestions for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
At a Loss
On Friday I was asleep for most of the day, preparing for my first of three night shifts. I awoke to hear about a nightmare too horrific to imagine. Since then a lot has been said. About guns, about...
View ArticleClik here to view.
12 in ’12: What a Difference a Year Makes
If 2011 was somewhat of a cluster, 2012 was an incredible journey. I started the year wondering where exactly I belonged in nursing and slogging through my final semester of grad school, and ended it...
View ArticleClik here to view.
1+3 in ’13: Moving Forward
Happy New Year everyone! As you’re reading this, I’m coming off my final shift of 2012 and my first shift of 2013. What a way to ring it in! Looking back at 2012, I have to say I never in a million...
View ArticleI’m Alive!
Sorry I have been so MIA on here. I have been working ungodly hours and racking up the overtime. My paycheck will be happy but I am pooped! One more week of this nonsense and then I get to take a...
View ArticleLately
So I’ve been neglecting y’all lately. I apologize. S has not been working and I have subsequently been picking up extra shifts to try and make up the difference in our income. Luckily he found a new...
View ArticleSix Months In
I had my mid-year evaluation at work yesterday. It’s hard to believe I’ve been back in acute care nursing for six months already (longer than I lasted the first time). A lot of things haven’t changed...
View ArticleGifts
Working in oncology (and anticipating a lifelong career in this direction) sometimes elicits raised eyebrows. So much sadness, right? How do you deal? I deal by recognizing what a gift this work can...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Problem Solving
I’ve posted a lot on this blog about my struggles with migraine headaches. But it occurred to me recently that I haven’t really shared the experience of finding solutions to this very big problem that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ode to the Needle
One of my unspoken resolutions for 2014 was to tackle these migraines. Why unspoken? Because announcing my goals tends to have the opposite effect for me that it does for others…rather than hold me...
View ArticleClik here to view.
That Whole “Self-Care” Thing
As I’ve gotten deeper and deeper into school, my self-care practices have been … well, lackluster (and that’s a generous descriptor). I pointed out in my 2013 year in review post that self-care got...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Baby Steps
One of the biggest challenges of walking the walk is knowing where to start. The ambitious “I will take better care of myself” proclamations can quickly turn into empty promises, especially when we...
View ArticleNew Directions Indeed
I resigned from my job last week. It was a long time coming, really. If this summer was about learning to say “No,” this decision was about saying no to drama. Since I crashed and burned last fall, I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ready for Fall
Last time I lived in North Carolina, back in my college days, migraines were not a part of my life. No, those little bastards didn’t show up until nursing school. I have been able to identify a number...
View ArticleClik here to view.
2014: Learning to Say “No”
So far my 30s have been anything but calm. The traditional cultural perception that your 20s are tumultuous certainly held true for me, but I am beginning to think that the whole idea of settling down...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Time for Drastic
Well, hullo there, strangers! Miss me? For those of you who have stuck around, bless you for your patience. The past few months have been a bit of an emotional and physical roller coaster. But I have...
View ArticleAbout My Choice
By now you’ve had a few days to digest my big news (pardon the pun). You may have mixed feelings about it. Trust me, I’ve been preparing for this experience for four months now, and I have my moments....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Weight Loss Surgery: The Preop Phase
One of the aspects of this experience that I really appreciate was how thorough the bariatric surgery preop approval process was. It made me feel confident that it wasn’t just about the $ for my...
View ArticleThe Liver Diet
With my surgery fast approaching, last week was the start diet for my preop “liver reduction diet”. The idea behind this diet is that obese people tend to have enlarged livers due to increased glycogen...
View Article
